Exercise equipment

ABSTRACT

There is provided a device for governing strap length in exercise equipment.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to exercise equipment for bodyweight and/or calisthenics training.

BACKGROUND

At all stages of human life, physical exercise at an appropriate intensity is beneficial to health and fitness. Weight and strength training at any age provide many health benefits and become increasingly important in resisting age-related degeneration of lean muscle mass and bone loss.

Weight and strength training are commonly associated with organised fitness centres, such as sports and health clubs, gyms and athletics training facilities. While health clubs and gyms are popular with many people, many others find the facilities offered in such establishments limiting or intimidating. Many people are motivated to replicate the equipment available in gyms and clubs for use in a wider range of settings, both indoors and outdoors. The recent global lockdown due to pandemic Covid-19 has highlighted the importance and convenience of exercise systems that may be deployed out-of-doors and/or in private spaces available to the users.

For the sake of simplicity, a user of exercise equipment of any type, whether a professional gymnast, an amateur or an occasional user will hereafter be referred to as a “exerciser” unless the context requires otherwise. This term is used without limitation as to the age, gender, or ability level and spans occasional home user to the professional gymnast.

Health clubs and gyms often include dedicated equipment that may be used to exercise particular muscle groups. While the more serious exerciser may install such equipment in a home gym, this not a viable option for the majority. Home exercise equipment must be light-weight, portable and capable of being deployed safely with minimal technical expertise.

Bodyweight training devices are a popular class of home exercise equipment: they typically only require a limited area and suitable anchor point(s) in a support structure, such as a ceiling joist or doorframe. Bodyweight training devices use the weight of the user's body to provide a load (“resistance”) against which the user performs one or more weight training exercises. The intensity of the exercise may be varied by adjusting anchor points and the angle of the user's body relative to the floor or ground. Examples include suspension trainers (STs) and pull-up bars.

Suspension trainers typically incorporate an anchor mechanism that permits the device to be anchored to a stable support (normally above the head height of the user), a pair of adjustable length straps or ropes extending from the anchor mechanism, and one or more grips at an end of each strap opposite to the anchor mechanism, the grips allowing the hands (or feet) of the user to engage the trainer while performing one of a number of exercises. The straps are usually made of a material that is substantially inelastic but resistant to the range of strain and shear forces to which they might be subjected.

Suspension trainers fall into two categories—those that require a single anchor point and those having two anchor points horizontally spaced apart.

A special case of suspension trainer is the traditional gymnastic rings system (used competitively in “still” and “flying” rings events) invented in the early 19th century. The rings are typically annular handles gripped by the gymnast and suspended by straps from an overhead support while performing various exercises; the strap lengths and the height of the support are standardised in the competitive sport. In a gym setting, the same type of ring may be attached to a pair of adjustable length straps extending from the anchor mechanism in place of the grips.

In addition to a bar, pull-up bars systems invariably require a pair of horizontally spaced-apart anchor points and suspended straps of equal lengths, strap ends opposite to the anchor points are attached at spaced apart attachment points on the bar. The exerciser typically grips the bar between the attachment points so that exercises such as pull-ups may be performed, hence the name. As for the suspension trainers, the strap lengths may be chosen or adjusted to different lengths according to the desired exercise and intensity.

Conventional bodyweight training devices, even those marketed as home exercise equipment are often bulky, inconvenient to transport, and somewhat limiting in the range of exercises they facilitate. In order to permit variation in strap length, these systems often supply an excess of strap material that may become entangled during transport, interfere with the gymnast during exercise and/or requires laborious knotting and unknotting to allow adjustment.

Some systems attempt to address problems with the straps by introducing a strap pulley that incorporates a reel upon which a portion of the strap material of each strap is wound against the bias of a coil spring and a locking mechanism that releasably locks the remaining portion of the straps so that the material is prevented from paying out further, when locked.

Nevertheless, these systems remain bulky and can still intrude into the space where the gymnast may wish to move, limiting their freedom of movement.

Reference to any prior art in this specification is not an acknowledgement or suggestion that this prior art forms part of the common general knowledge in any jurisdiction, or globally, or that this prior art could reasonably be expected to be understood, regarded as relevant/or combined with other pieces of prior art by a person skilled in the art.

It is an object of the invention to at least ameliorate one or more of the above or other shortcomings of prior art and/or to provide a useful alternative.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is a device as defined in the appended claims.

In a first aspect, there is provided a device for governing strap length in exercise equipment, the device comprising: a strap having proximal end and a distal end; a housing having an anchor means arranged to be attached to a support at an anchor point, the housing forming a cavity arranged to receive a proximal portion of the strap, the strap extending through an aperture in the housing exposing the distal end of the strap; a reel rotatably mounted in the housing and having the proximal end of the strap attached thereto, the reel being arranged to rotate about an axis; a return mechanism mounted on the housing to bias the reel in a first rotational direction about the axis to wind the strap onto the reel; and a locking means movable between a locked position preventing the reel from rotation and an unlocked position allowing the reel to rotate in the first rotational direction or a second rotational direction opposite to the first rotational direction depending upon a longitudinal force applied to the distal end of the strap.

Exercise equipment including one or more instance of the device of the present disclosure is both compact and portable. The return mechanism and retractable strap mechanism cooperate to reduce the chances that straps become tangled in carriage yet permits easy set-up, adjustment and storage of the equipment.

In certain embodiments, the distal end of the strap incorporates an attachment means such as a carabiner or a buckle loop. The device may thus permit straightforward attachment to a range of handles and foot cradles so that the device may form the core of a modular exercise equipment system with detachable grips, extensions and/or attachment points for further equipment such as a pull-up bar.

The strap may be formed from an inelastic webbing and/or a cable.

In certain embodiments, the return mechanism is a spring means that may be arranged to provide a constant spring bias.

The housing may be formed of a body section and a cover plate. The housing may further comprise a spacer to ensure that there is no contact between the reel or return mechanism and the housing.

In certain embodiments, the device further includes at least one ratchet wheel fixed to the reel and corotating about the axis of rotation of the reel, the ratchet having a plurality of radially extending, axially spaced apart teeth. The locking means may comprise a rocker button arranged to pivot between the locked position and the unlocked position, wherein the rocker button having at least one pawl arranged to engage at least one of the teeth in the locked position. Alternatively, the locking means may comprise a pin arranged to slide between the unlocked and locked positions, the pin engaging at least one of the teeth at a contact surface when the pin is in the locked position.

In certain embodiments, the locking means comprises a clutch plate and an actuator, the actuator being arranged to urge the clutch plate against the reel in the locked position.

Optionally, the device comprises an engaging means formed in the reel or fixed to the reel, and corotating about the axis of rotation of the reel, the engaging means having a plurality of radially extending, axially spaced apart teeth.

Optionally, the locking means comprises a rocker button arranged to pivot between the locked position and the unlocked position, the rocker button having a lobe arranged to engage at least one of the teeth in the locked position, and a lobe wall arranged to support the lobe without interfering with the rotation of the engaging means.

Optionally, the engaging means is a ratchet wheel.

It will be appreciated that features and aspects of the present disclosure may be combined with other different aspects of the disclosure as appropriate, and not just in the specific illustrative combinations described herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The present disclosed subject matter will be understood and appreciated more fully from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings in which corresponding or like numerals or characters indicate corresponding or like components. Unless indicated otherwise, the drawings provide exemplary embodiments or aspects of the disclosure and do not limit the scope of the disclosure. In the drawings:

FIG. 1A illustrates conventional exercise equipment for suspension training using a single anchor point;

FIG. 1B illustrates arrangements for suspension training using a pair of horizontal anchor points;

FIG. 2 illustrates a device for governing strap length in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIGS. 3A to 3C illustrate aspects of a reel unit in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate features of a locking unit in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 5 to 7 illustrate diagrammatically the cooperation of the locking unit with the reel unit in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 illustrates a device in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 9 illustrates an arrangement for two devices in exercise equipment in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

Conventional bodyweight exercise equipment such as the equipment illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B incorporates lengths of strap material that can be knotted or cinched to accommodate different length requirements. While they may be portable in principle, the lengths of strap material are apt to become entangled in transit so that users often tie the straps for convenience of carriage. Straps, whether knotted for portability or to achieve a desired strap length, must then be disentangled or unknotted to allow adjustment (no matter how slight) of effective strap length for a new exercise or new anchor location.

In FIG. 1A, the suspension trainer comprises an anchor mechanism 104 that permits the device to be anchored to a stable support 102, a pair of straps 110 extending from the anchor mechanism 104, and one or more grips 106 at an end of each strap opposite to the anchor mechanism 104, the grips 106 allowing the hands of the user to engage the trainer while performing one of a number of body weight exercises. Limited adjustment in length of the straps may be achieved by passing more or less of the length of strap through a buckle arrangement.

In alternative prior art arrangements, such as those illustrated in FIG. 1B, the suspension trainer again comprises a pair of straps 112, 114, each terminating in one or more grips 106′. Here, each strap 112, 114 is anchored to a stable support 102′ at a respective anchor mechanism 104′, the anchor mechanisms 104′ being space apart from one another on the support 102′.

In each case, storage, transport and length adjustment entail inconvenience due to the propensity for the straps to become entangled and/or for unused sections of the strap interfering with the desired operation of the equipment.

Furthermore, due to limitations in the range of length adjustment for prior art straps, grips/handles cannot be raised far enough from the ground to allow the exerciser to perform various fully suspended exercises, such as pull-ups, using fixing points they can reach unaided —such as a door frame. Thus, conventional equipment may be configured to allow fully suspended exercises by seeking a higher anchor point but this comes at the expense of having to access that anchor point using a ladder or similar mechanism to access the higher anchor point safely so that the handles suspended from equipment anchored at that point are above head height.

The exercise equipment of the present disclosure is compact, portable and fully adjustable in length (in that the entire length of the strap may be utilised in adjusting strap length. Furthermore, the exercise equipment may be implemented in both single anchor and twin anchor arrangements. The strap mechanism reduces the chances that straps become tangled in carriage yet permits easy set-up, more extensive adjustment range and more convenient storage of the equipment.

The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of various exemplary embodiments of the disclosure and is not intended to represent the only forms in which the present disclosure may be practised. It is to be understood that the same or equivalent functions may be accomplished by different embodiments that are intended to be encompassed within the scope of the invention. Furthermore, terms such as “comprises”, “comprising”, “has”, “contains” or any other grammatical variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that module, circuit, device components, structures and method steps that comprises a list of elements or steps does not include only those elements but may include other elements or steps not expressly listed or inherent to such module, circuit, device components or steps. An element or step proceeded by “comprises . . . a” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of additional identical elements or steps that comprise the element or step.

The exercise equipment of the present disclosure incorporates a device for governing strap length.

FIG. 2 illustrates the main components of a strap length governor device 200. In the FIG. 2 embodiment, the device for governing strap length in an exercise device comprises a housing 214 having an anchor means (not shown) arranged to be attached to a support at an anchor point, a reel 208 rotatably mounted on a shaft 212 fixed to the housing 214 and having proximal end of the strap (not shown) attached thereto, a spring means 202 mounted on the shaft 212 to bias the reel in a first direction to wind the strap onto the reel 208, and a locking means 204/206 movable between a locked position preventing the reel 208 from rotation and an unlocked position allowing the reel 208 to rotate in the first direction or a second direction opposite to the first direction depending upon a longitudinal force applied to a distal end of the strap.

The spring means 202 engages with the reel 208 and the shaft 212 (and thus the housing 214). In certain embodiments, the spring means 202 delivers a substantially constant force that biases the rotation of the reel 208 to a retracted state. Longitudinal force applied to a distal end of the strap compresses the spring, storing mechanical potential energy.

The housing is schematically represented by the disk 214 in FIG. 2 . In certain embodiments, the housing may substantially encase the reel and locking means (see FIG. 8 , for example). The housing may comprise an upper and a lower casing. The housing, or casing components, may be injection moulded. In certain embodiments, upper and lower casings may be arranged to attach to each other through a snap-fit mechanism.

While not illustrated, certain embodiments further include a spacer to ensure that the outer portion of the reel and locking means do not come into contact with any portion of the housing.

FIGS. 3A to 3C illustrate aspects of a reel unit 300 in accordance with the present disclosure. The reel unit may correspond to the reel 208 of FIG. 2 . The reel unit shown in FIG. 3A comprises a drum portion 304 about which a strap (not shown) may be wound sandwiched by a pair of guide wheels 312. The drum portion has a first radius, R₁, about an axis of rotation 302 and the guide wheels 312 guide the strap onto the drum 304. In certain embodiments, at least one of the guide wheels 312 forms part of a locking means, such as the locking means 204/206 of FIG. 2 .

FIG. 3B shows the reel unit of FIG. 3A in a side view. The reel unit 300 includes an attachment means 330 at which a proximal end of the strap may be attached. In certain embodiments, the attachment means 330 is implemented as a pin that extends in an axial direction through the guide wheels 312 at a point off set from the axis of rotation of the wheels. In certain embodiments, the drum portion 304 incorporates a notch or recess accommodating the attachment means 330 so that the proximal end of the strap may attach without significantly distorting the winding of the strap about the drum portion 304. FIG. 3C shows an embodiment with the proximal end of the strap attached to the attachment means 330 and partly wound about the drum portion 304 guided by the guide wheels 312 at either side.

FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate features of a locking unit in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. In certain embodiments, the locking unit comprises an actuator 400 that cooperates with an engaging means 402. The actuator 400 moves between a locked position, in which the engaging means 402 is substantially prevented from movement, and an unlocked position, in which the engaging means 402 has at least one degree of freedom of movement. In the case illustrated in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the actuator 400 acts as a rocker button that pivots through an arc about a pivot fixed with respect to a housing. The actuator 400 may implement a part of the locking means 204/206 of FIG. 2 ; the engaging means 402 may then implement a corresponding part of the locking means 204/206 of FIG. 2 . In certain embodiments, the engaging means 402 corresponds to at least one of the guide wheels 312 of FIGS. 3A-3C. The engaging means 402 of FIG. 4B is seen to correspond to a guide wheel having a plurality of spaced apart teeth 406. The actuator 400 in FIG. 4A is provided with at least one lobe 404 that extends radially inward. When pivoted into a locked position as shown in FIG. 4B, the at least one lobe 404 engages with the surface of the engaging means 402 defined by successive spaced apart teeth 406 on the reel unit. The lobed actuator 400 therefore acts as a pawl against a ratchet wheel engaging means 402.

The actuator 400 illustrated in FIG. 4 has a pair of lobes 404 located at two adjacent corners, engaging teeth 406 of the guide wheel at the exterior of each lobe (i.e. at the side of the actuator exposed in the direction of rotation of the wheel). In the illustrated embodiment, the portion of the lobe 404 that engages guide wheel teeth 406 is reinforced by a lobe wall 408 that supports the lobe 404 without interfering with the rotation of the guide wheel. The illustrated arrangement minimises sheer on the teeth 406 and also serves to reduce crack propagation across the casing. Furthermore, in the operation of flipping the actuator, force is applied to the exterior instead of interior of the design teeth, which allows for force to be spread more evenly, again reducing the chances of teeth shearing making the device safer to use.

FIGS. 5 to 7 illustrate diagrammatically the cooperation of the locking unit with the reel unit in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. Here, an actuator 502 (corresponding to the lobed actuator 400 of FIGS. 4A and 4B, for example) has limited rotational freedom about a pivot 506. A rachet wheel (such as the engaging means 402 of FIG. 4 ) is provided having a plurality of ratchet teeth 504 with gaps 508 provided therebetween. In certain embodiments, the ratchet wheel is formed in the reel unit (e.g. the reel unit 300): in other embodiments, the ratchet wheel is co-rotationally fixed to the reel unit.

In certain embodiments, the teeth on the ratchet wheel are ramped. This is to ensure that, in the locked position, the pull of the strap webbing is locked but also that the return spring is prevented from reeling the strap webbing back in the absence of a contrary force.

FIG. 6 illustrates the actuator 502 in the locked position, a portion of the actuator 502 being engaged with a surface in the gap 508 between successive ratchet teeth 504 of the ratchet wheel thereby preventing further rotation of the rachet wheel (and by extension of the reel unit). An arrow indicates the approximate direction of pressure applied by the would-be exerciser wishing to pivot the actuator into the locked position. In this position, the strap may not be extended further or retracted (under the bias of the spring means 202, say). The exerciser may then proceed to use the strap length governor device incorporating the locking unit and the reel unit as described since the locking means will prevent unwanted changes in the strap length.

FIG. 7 illustrates the actuator 502 in the unlocked position. No part of the actuator 502 engages the ratchet wheel. The rachet wheel, and by extension the reel unit, may rotate freely in either rotational direction. An arrow indicates the approximate direction of pressure applied by the user wishing to adjust the length of strap (whether to shorten or lengthen the part of the strap deployed) as they pivot the actuator into the unlocked position. In this unlocked position, the strap may be extended further (by the application of a pull force at a distal end of the strap) or retracted (under the bias of the spring means 202, say) until the desired length is achieved. Once a desired length has been achieved the user would typically wish to lock the strap at that length; they would do this by returning the actuator 502 to the locked position.

FIG. 8 illustrates a strap length governor device in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The device has a housing 804 that encloses a locking unit and a reel unit such as that illustrated in the previous FIGS. 2 to 7 . A rocker button (corresponding to the exposed portion of an actuator such as actuator 502) allows the user to control whether the device 800 is locked (i.e. ready for use in weight bearing exercises) or unlocked (i.e. ready to retract/extend and/or adjust in strap length).

A portion of strap 806 is shown extending from a position diametrically opposite an attachment means 802. While not illustrated, a further length of strap may be attached to the attachment means 802. It is noted that, when the strap 806 is not fully extended, the thickness of the strap remaining wound about the drum means that force is offset to one side of the drum creating a lever. In certain embodiments the axis of rotation of the reel unit is offset to compensate for the offset force.

In certain embodiments, the housing 804 includes a tension pin. The portion of strap 806 extending from the device passes over the tension pin before meeting the portion of the strap remaining wound about the drum means. The tension pin absorbs the force of the extended strap when under tension, preventing that force from being applied directly to the reel unit by the strap. The presence of the tension pin also results in a reduction in warping, which would otherwise lead to crack propagation. In certain embodiments, the pin diameter is in the range 5 mm to 8 mm, and preferably at least 6 mm ails This pin was reduced in size (from 6 mm to 4 mm) and the impact was drastic—the 4 mm pin completely bent, where as the 6 mm retained its strength when under the same pressure.

In operation, attachment point 802 is typically arranged to be closest to the floor or ground. The user attaches the extended portion of the strap 806 to an overhead structure, then extends (or shortens) the strap by pushing the button 502 and pulling on the housing 804 (or allowing the strap to be retracted under bias of a spring means in the reel unit of the device).

In certain embodiments, placing the actuator in the locked position also ensures that a portion of the strap is effectively locked against the housing 804, thereby distributing a portion of the load within the housing. A region of the housing adjacent to the aperture from which the strap extends may be reinforced to resist this distributed load. The housing may be further reinforced by the formation of one or more strengthening pins (or ribs) to optimise ergonomics and resist the maximum load.

FIG. 9 illustrates an arrangement for two devices in exercise equipment in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. This arrangement is suited to types of exercise where both of the exerciser's hands are engaged simultaneously. By providing two separate devices that can be attached to anchor points an arbitrary distance apart, this arrangement allows the exerciser performing such exercises to finely adjust the configuration of their equipment to their own physique without compromising on stability as would be required with equipment having a single anchor point such as that illustrated in FIG. 1A.

It will be noted that the strap length governor devices are illustrated as being attached to anchor points on a support beam via fixed length attachment means close to the support. In alternative embodiments, the variable length of strap is attached to the anchor points while a fixed length attachment means is provided to allow the removeable attachment of a grip, handle or foot loop. FIG. 9 shows the attachment of gym rings as an example.

The description of the various embodiments of the present disclosure has been presented for purposes of illustration and example, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the forms disclosed. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes could be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the broad inventive concept thereof.

Further particular and preferred aspects of the present invention are set out in the accompanying independent and dependent claims. It will be appreciated that features of the dependent claims may be combined with features of the independent claims in combinations other than those explicitly set out in the claims. 

1. A device for governing strap length in a suspension trainer, the device comprising: a strap having proximal end and a distal end; a housing having an anchor means arranged to be attached to a support at an anchor point, the housing forming a cavity arranged to receive a proximal portion of the strap, the strap extending through an aperture in the housing exposing the distal end of the strap; a reel rotatably mounted in the housing and having the proximal end of the strap attached thereto, the reel being arranged to rotate about an axis; an engaging means formed in the reel or fixed to the reel, and corotating about the axis of rotation of the reel, the engaging means having a plurality of radially extending, axially spaced apart teeth; a return mechanism mounted on the housing to bias the reel in a first rotational direction about the axis to wind the strap onto the reel; and a locking means movable between a locked position preventing the reel from rotation and an unlocked position allowing the reel to rotate in the first rotational direction or a second rotational direction opposite to the first rotational direction depending upon a longitudinal force applied to the distal end of the strap; wherein the locking means comprises a rocker button arranged to pivot between the locked position and the unlocked position, the rocker button having: i) a lobe arranged to engage at least one of the teeth in the locked position; and ii) a lobe wall arranged to support the lobe without interfering with the rotation of the engaging means wherein, the housing further comprises a tension pin and the distal portion of strap extending from the device passes over the tension pin before meeting the proximal portion of the strap remaining wound about the drum means such that the tension pin absorbs the force of the extended strap when under tension, preventing that force from being applied directly to the reel unit by the strap.
 2. The device of claim 1, wherein the strap is formed from at least one of an inelastic webbing and a cable.
 3. The device of claim 1, wherein the return mechanism is a spring means arranged to provide a constant spring bias.
 4. The device claim 1, the housing being formed of a body section and a cover plate.
 5. The device of claim 1, the housing further comprising a spacer. 